Pericranial splint and retainer assembly

ABSTRACT

A malleable metal nasal piece is formed to assume a shape which will maintain a desired shape for the wearer&#39;&#39;s traumatized nose. The final formation of the nasal piece is performed while the nasal piece is adjacent to the wearer&#39;&#39;s nose. An adjustable elastic pericranial band is attached to a goggle type retention piece having a central member connecting eye pieces. The central member bears against a bridge area on the nasal piece for maintaining pressure between the nasal piece and the wearer&#39;&#39;s nose when the pericranial band is adjusted to be in tension. A small projection extends from the bridge area of the nasal piece for positioning the central member on the nasal piece.

United States Patent 1 1 Berner PERICRANIAL SPLINT AND RETAINER ASSEMBLY [76] Inventor: Robert E. Berner, 28 Mansanita Rd., Atherton, Calif. 94025 [22] Filed: June 11, 1973 [211 Appl. No.: 368,873

[52] US. Cl. 128/76 C, 128/89 R [51] Int. Cl. A6lf 5/08 [58] Field of Search 128/76, 132, 163, 87, 89

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,594,813 7/1971 Sanderson 128/132 X 3,742,943 7/1973 Malmin 128/76 C FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 559,507 5/1954 Italy 128/76 C OTHER PUBLICATIONS Conco Surgical Supply Catalogue, Nasal Splint page 12.

[451 Sept. 17, 1974 Primary ExaminerRichard A. Gaudet Assistant Examiner-J. Yasko Attorney, Agent, or Firnt-Flehr, Hohbach, Test, Albritton & Herbert [S 7 ABSTRACT A malleable metal nasal piece is formed to assume a shape which will maintain a desired shape for the wearers traumatized nose. The final formation of the nasal piece is performed while the nasal piece is adjacent to the wearers nose. An adjustable elastic pericranial band is attached to a goggle type retention piece having a central member connecting eye pieces. The central member bears against a bridge area on the nasal piece for maintaining pressure between the nasal piece and the wearers nose when the pericranial band is adjusted to be in tension. A small projection extends from the bridge area of the nasal piece for positioning the central member on the nasal piece.

2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PERICRANIAL SPLINT AND RETAINER ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a pericranial splint and retainer assembly and in particular to such an assembly for providing support and shaping for a wearers traumatized nose during a period of healing.

A persons nose being constructed primarily of cartilage is prone to assume an unattractive shape after injury if it is not held to a desired end shape during the period of healing. In the past, layers of tape have been used to afford support to the cartilage structure while the traumatized nose undergoes the healing process. Splints have been added to the external surface of the tape in an effort to maintain a desirable shape during the healing period. Other complex mechanical devices have been utilized with myriad adjustment features for providing pressure to the healing nose at various points to achieve a desired shape during healing. These latter devices have necessarily been associated with spectacle-like frames with rearward extending members for gaining support by looping over the wearers ears. Such spectacle-like supports are difficult to maintain in a given position, and the tape and splint approach is extremely uncomfortable to the wearer during the healing period due to irritation of the skin, causing itching, and due to the extreme discomfort involved in the removal of the tape when the healing period is completed.

There is, therefore, a need for a splint and retainer assembly for use in shaping a wearers traumatized nose during the healing period which will afford maximum comfort during the healing period, may be easily held in place, will provide a desired shape to. the nose during the healing process, and which may cover the usual unsightly discoloration and swelling about the eyes resulting from a trauma to the nose.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION A nose splint and retainer assembly is disclosed for use during the healing period of a wearers traumatized nose having a thin malleable metal body with a soft lining for contact with the wearers nose and an external surface with a flesh tone appearance for blending with the remainder of the wearers face. The nose splint is shaped to assume a desired healed shape for the wearers nose. An integral elongated finger-like element extends over the bridge of the wearers nose for supporting a central member connecting a pair of goggle eye pieces which are secured to the wearers head by means of a pericranial elastic band. A projection from the bridge of the malleable metal nose piece provides support for the bottom of the central member which transmits a gentle compressive shaping force from the pericranial elastic band through the shaped nose piece to the nose. 7

In general it is an object of the present invention to provide a pericranial splint and retainer for immobilizing, protecting, and applying mild pressure for shaping the nose during a period of healing.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pericranial splint and retainer of the above character which permits the patient to remove and reapply gentle shaping pressures until the injured nose area is fully recovered.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pericranial splint and retainer of the above character which removes the danger of applying excessive pressure to the injured nose during healing and of displacement of the injured parts after healing during the removal of adhesive.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pericranial splint and retainer of the above character which may be immediately applied by any person as an emergency measure following a nose injury.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pericranial splint and retainer of the above character for providing a predetermined shape for a wearers nose during a period of healing following cosmetic surgery.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pericranial splint and retainer assembly of the above character which is easily adjusted for shape and for force urging the nasal piece against the injured nose.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pericranial splint and retainer assembly of the above character which provides concealment of unsightly discoloration and swelling about the eyes caused by trauma to the nose.

Additional objects and features of the invention will appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiment has been set forth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the nasal splint. FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the nasal splint.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the nasal splint showing the inside surface for contacting the nose.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the nasal splint showing the external surface for supporting the retainer.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the goggle type splint retainer.

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the nasal splint and the goggle retainer assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The pericranial splint and retainer assembly disclosed herein is used during a period of healing of the nose of a wearer following trauma to the nose. The assembly consists of a malleable splint capable of being formed to provide a desired shape for the healed nose and a pericranial retainer for exerting mild pressure to assure the healed nose assumes the shape of the malleable splint. As seen in FIG. 1 a nasal splint l 1 has a sloping side 12 depending from a bridge area 13. An integral elongate finger-like extension 14 projects upwardly from the bridge area 13. A projection 16 also extends upwardly from the bridge area 13 and may be punched from the body of the nasal splint 11 and bent upwardly into position as shown FIG. 2 shows the sloping side 12 and an opposite sloping side 17. The integral extension 14 and the projection 16 from the bridge area are seen to be centrally located relative to sloping sides 12 and 17.

Turning now to FIG. 3 an under-surface 18 of the nasal splint 11 is seen. Under-surface 18 has a soft lining applied which is substantially entirely in contact with the nose of the wearer when applied. FIG. 4 shows an upper surface 19 of the nasal splint 11 which has a flesh tone appearance for providing as pleasing an appearance for the wearer as possible.

FIG. 5 shows the goggle-like apparatus 21 having eye pieces 22 and a central member 23 joining the eye pieces 22. A pericranial elastic strap 24 having a length adjustment means 26 is attached to the outer edges of the eye pieces 22.

FIG. 6 shows the assembly of the goggle-like apparatus 21 and the nasal splint 11 the functional characteristics of which will now be described. A person whose nose has been subjected to trauma is fitted with a nasal splint 11 as follows. The body of thin malleable material is gently forrned by hand to assume the desired shape of the healed nose at the under-surface 18 of the nasal splint 11. The soft lining on the under-surface 18 is placed against the traumatized nose of the wearer with the integral extension 14 extending upwards over the bridge of the wearers nose. The goggle-like apparatus 21 is placed over the head of the wearer with the central member 23 resting above the projection 16 on the bridge area 13 of the nose splint 1 l. The pericranial elastic strap 24 is routed around the back of the wearers head and adjusted in length using adjusting means 26 to provide a gentle force at the central member 23 directed toward the bridge of the wearers nose. The force urges the body of thin malleable material firmly against the wearers nose to provide the desired shape during the period of healing. The eye pieces 22 provide concealment of unsightly discoloration and swelling about the eyes caused by the trauma to the nose. The flesh tone appearance of the upper surface 19 provides minimum contrast between the nasal splint 11 and the remainder of the wearers facial flesh tones. Pressure may be removed temporarily by removing goggle-like apparatus 21, or may be adjusted at will by manipulating length adjusting means 26.

By way of example the nasal splint 11 may be made of malleable aluminum plate approximately .020 inches in thickness. The body forming the nasal splint 11 is generally shovel shaped in plan view detail prior to formation of the sloping sides 12 and 17. The integral extension 14 from the bridge area 13 is caused to bend upwardly at an approximate angle of 30 prior to final formation to fit over the bridge of a wearers nose. A typical total width of the sides 12 and 17 is approximately 2 inches. A typical overall height from the top of the integral extension 14 to the bottom of the malleable body is approximately 2 Vs inches. The upper surface 19 may be provided with an appropriate flesh tone appearance by covering it with a vinyl finish. The undersurface 18 may be provided with the soft lining by affixing a cotton felt padding to the under side of the malleable aluminum plate. The projection 16 from the bridge area 13 utilized for supporting the central member 23 on the goggle-like apparatus 21 may be punched out of the bridge area 13 and bent upwardly to assume the position shown in FIG. 1. Alternatively an L-shaped piece may be fastened to the bridge'area 13 to provide the projection 16.

The goggle-like apparatus 21, by way of example, may be molded from flexible plastic. They are generally the normal size for goggles of this type and are thin in section throughout to provide a flexibility which allows them to conform comfortably to the wearers facial contours. The lenses in the eye pieces 22 may be of any desired color or may be clear, and are preferably removable and flexible. A number of ventilation holes 27 are adjacent to the lenses in the eye pieces 22 to prevent fogging or clouding of the lenses when worn for a considerable length of time. The elastic strap 24 is worn around the head just above the ears and may be permanently fixed to an edge of one eye piece 22 while hooking to the edge of the opposite eye piece 22 by means of a hook (not shown) attached to the strap 24 which inserts into a slot (not shown) in the eyepiece 22. One such elastic strap 24 has been utilized with satisfactory results which is composed of 30 percent rubber and percent nylon, measuring approximately 0.4 inches in width and 16 inches in length. One type of adjusting means 26 which may be used is a double eye loop which causes the length of the elastic strap 24 to be retained due to the tension in the strap.

There is disclosed herein a pericranial splint and retainer assembly for assisting in reconstruction of the nose during the critical period of healing following trauma to the nose. The device disclosed herein allows the wearer to remove, adjust, and reapply the gentle pressure urging the nasal splint against the traumatized nose. Irritation during healing and the danger during the removal of adhesive is eliminated. The device provides a cosmetic effect in the blending of the nasal splint with the wearers flesh tones and the concealment of discoloration and swelling caused by the trauma to the nose.

I claim:

1. A nose splint and retainer assembly for use during healing of a wearers traumatized nose, comprising a one piece body of relatively thin malleable material adapted to be shaped to fit snugly on the nose of the wearer to maintain a desired nose shape during healing, a lining applied to a first surface of said body for substantially entire contact with the nose, means on a second surface of said body opposite said first surface for presenting a flesh tone appearance, and an integral elongated finger-like element projecting from said one piece body adapted to extend over the bridge of the nose,a pair of goggles conforming comfortably to the facial contours of the wearer, said goggles having eye pieces connected by a central member, said central member engaging said second surface when said goggles are placed on the head of the wearer subsequent to positioning the nose splint, an elastic band for encir cling the head of the wearer attached to each side of said goggles for urging the shaped body against the nose, whereby said body may be removed without irritation, adjusted and reapplied to the nose during healing, and skin discoloration about the eyes due to the nose trauma is completely hidden from view by the pieces. 

1. A nose splint and retainer assembly for use during healing of a wearer''s traumatized nose, comprising a one piece body of relatively thin malleable material adapted to be shaped to fit snugly on the nose of the wearer to maintain a desired nose shape during healing, a lining applied to a first surface of said body for substantially entire contact with the nose, means on a second surface of said body opposite said first surface for presenting a flesh tone appearance, and an integral elongated finger-like element projecting from said one piece body adapted to extend over the bridge of the nose,a pair of goggles conforming comfortably to the facial contours of the wearer, said goggles having eye pieces connected by a central member, said central member engaging said second surface when said goggles are placed on the head of the wearer subsequent to positioning the nose splint, an elastic band for encircling the head of the wearer attached to each side of said goggles for urging the shaped body against the nose, whereby said body may be removed without irritation, adjusted and reapplied to the nose during healing, and skin discoloration about the eyes due to the nose trauma is completely hidden from view by the goggles.
 2. A nose splint and retainer assembly as in claim 1 wherein said body has a bridge area centrally located on said second surface together with a projection extending from said bridge area for positioning and supporting said central member and wherein said goggles have vent holes therein to prevent fogging of said eye pieces. 